About the Meditation

Meditation session led by Lama Aria Drolma.

The guided meditation begins at 12:10.

For centuries Himalayan practitioners have used meditation to quiet the mind, open the heart, calm the nervous system, and increase focus. Now Western scientists, business leaders, and the secular world have embraced meditation as a vital tool for brain health.

Whether you’re a beginner, a dabbler, or a skilled meditator seeking the company of others, join expert teachers in a forty-five-minute weekly program designed to fit into your lunch break. Each session will be inspired by a different work of art from the Rubin Museum’s collection and will include an opening talk, a twenty-minute meditation session, and a closing discussion.

Presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg and the Interdependence Project and Parabola Magazine.


RELATED ARTWORK

Stupa, Tibet; ca.13th century or 14th century; Copper alloy inset with turquoise; Rubin Museum of Art, C2003.21.1, HAR65233

Theme: Openness

The stupa is a symbol found across all Buddhist traditions. It originated in India as a mound made to hold sacred remains, like those of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. This is not limited to the mortal remains of a holy person but may also include objects associated with that person, such as clothes, as well as sacred texts, articles of worship, and figures made of clay and the ashes of the deceased (tsa tsa). While a statue or painting of a buddha represents the divine body of an enlightened being and a book symbolizes divine speech, a stupa represents the mind of supreme spiritual awakening and is thus a symbol of buddhahood.

There are several different traditional types of stupa, and this metal sculpture is an example of a Kadam stupa and can be differentiated from other kinds of stupas by its bell-like shape. This style of stupa was introduced to Tibet by the Indian scholar Atisha (982–1054) in the mid-11 century.

About the Speaker

Lama Aria Drolma is an ordained Buddhist teacher in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism who has completed over a decade of monastic study and meditation training. She is a graduate of the traditional Tibetan Buddhist retreat program spanning three years and three months, an advanced cloistered meditation training program at Palpung Thubten Choling Monastery, New York.

Lama Aria Drolma teaches worldwide, leading retreats, workshops, and corporate meditation programs and is a popular guest speaker at universities and organizations. She emphasizes Vajrayana Buddhism and Buddhist principles, making them relevant in our everyday lives, helping us to cultivate loving kindness and compassion, and bringing about a transformation of contentment and a genuine sense of well-being.

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